Women’s conference to tackle tough topics

Be the Frontline Ministries to test ‘your mettle’

By Sam Wildow - Miami Valley Today

McMillan

PIQUA — Be the Frontline Ministries, a new Christian ministry founded last year, will be holding a Fearless Conference in May, a conference aimed at women with the question, “Are you ready to have to your mettle tested?”

Rev. Theresa McMillan of Be the Frontline Ministries said that their mission “is to teach those to protect, heal, and give strength to not only themselves but to other women in our community.” McMillan explained that with this conference, Be the Frontline Ministries will “touch on taboo topics relevant to women and learn how to use the power of God to help them survive and succeed in their daily lives.”

McMillan said that some of those topics include cancer, PTSD, suicide, depression, other mental illness, body image issues, and more. She also explained that the conference’s theme question, “Are you ready to have to your mettle tested?” — with “mettle” being one’s true grit and backbone — is about helping one’s self find healing.

“We need to talk about these issues and people who are dealing with this every day,” McMillan said.

The conference will be held on May 18 from 1-5 p.m. at Saint Paul’s Church, located at 500 N. Downing St. in Piqua. Tickets are $15, which are being sold on their website at bethefrontline.org or at Saint Paul’s Church.

McMillan said that the speakers at the conference are local people who are qualified to talk about the difficult topics they will be broaching at the conference. They include McMillan; Pastor Stacy Scott, co-founder of True Vine Church; Maggie Mundhenk, who attends and volunteers at House on the Rock Church and who is also a cancer survivor; and Rev. Kitty Kincaid, the executive director of New Creation Counseling Center.

McMillan said that it was important to her for the speakers to be local people to help attendees establish local connections about where attendees can find help and resources nearby. She said that they did not need a “big name person” to tell them how they are feeling.

“There is help out there,” McMillan said. “We need to learn how to take care of ourselves.”

Each of the speakers will speak for approximately 30 minutes, and there will also be time to visit with attending vendors at the conference, including the Piqua YWCA, Grace Christian Bookstore, the Miami County YMCA, the Piqua Compassion Network, Rodan and Field Independent Consultant, and a Soothing Touch Massage, Women at the Well Ministries, a grief consultant, and the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County.

McMillan said that the speakers and vendors will also be giving attendees information on taking the next step toward healing, such as finding a counselor.

“That next step is scary,” McMillan said.

McMillan felt a spiritual calling to start Be the Frontline Ministries and hold this conference from her own past experiences of dealing with physical, mental, and verbal abuse. She recalled finding strength through God to stand up to one her abusers when she was 12 years old.

“From there, I started defending others,” McMillan said.

McMillan said that her pastor, Rev. Keith Gebhart, also encouraged her to pursue ministry.

“I want to help people like God helped me,” McMillan said.

For more information, visit bethefrontline.org or email bethefrontlineministries@gmail.com.